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Choosing Desired MEOP Beforing Shipping Out?

Okay, I posted on this discussion board a long time ago, but I got some bad news. Let me refresh the situation and state the bad news.

Okay, I took the enlistment oath/DEPed into the Marine Corps September 2011 (last year - beginning of my senior year in high school). Shortly after that, my old recruiter left and I was transferred to a new recruiter. Around October or November, the MSgt (recruiters' boss) finally offered me a contract:

At first, I declined since it was not my desired MOS; I wanted enlisted air crew. He said it wasn't available. Around December, I talked to my recruiter about the job, and he convinced me to sign for that contract after he showed me the MOSs under it and said 7300 included enlisted flight crew. I was like, “For real!”, and signed the contract (ship date August 6th). That night, I went home and did research and found out that enlisted flight crew was not the same thing as enlisted air crew (AG - AIRCREW / FLIGHT MECHANIC / NAVIGATOR).

Fast forward time a little bit, and I asked if I could change my MOS field. He said he'll allow me if he can find it available. A few months passed, and he said he can't find it available, so he asked if I could wait until October since that was the start of the next fiscal year and literally all jobs are just suddenly reopened. I agreed.

Finally, yesterday at my poolee function, he had a conversation with the MSgt. He came out and told me that since I enlisted on September last year, I must ship out my September this year. I cannot wait until October (start of next fiscal year) to select my job because you can only be in DEP for 365 days. He said I have to hope that from May (end of high school), through June, and July, there would be someone who has my job that would discharge from DEP and I can then fill in his slot and take his ship date. I asked my recruiter, what if nobody with my job drops out. He didn't give me a satisfactory answer...

The Marine Corps is starting to ****s me off now....When waiting for a slot to open, does it include just your local recruiting station or the whole Marine Corps? If I don't get my desired job before my current ship date, should I just drop out of DEP and enlist again?

Thanks for your patience and time! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The Marine Corps is starting to ****s me off now....When waiting for a slot to open, does it include just your local recruiting station or the whole Marine Corps? If I don't get my desired job before my current ship date, should I just drop out of DEP and enlist again?

People are not telling you what you want to hear. Nor can anybody on this site tell you what you want to hear either.

But I can tell you that if you are pizzed off before you have even started...boy, son, you are in for a loooooooong hitch! Remember, decisions made are not geared toward what are best for YOU, but what is best for the Marine Corps.

So you have to ask yourself a basic question: What do you want more, to be a Marine or to be aircrew?

Afraziaaaa can answer better the question whether open slots include the Marine Corps as a whole or your recruiting station, but I believe it is as a whole.

Should you drop out? I personally do not recommend to anybody to quit. I think that sets up a bad pattern for life. If you drop out, what is the likelihood they will even let you enlist again? They might just tell you to go pound sand. And will your options be better?

Weigh your options carefully, don't cop an attitude at your recruiter or he won't work for you, and be patient and persistent, yet not a pest.

I called my recruiter today and asked if opening myself to consider more job contracts like COMBAT SUPPORT and FIRE DIRECTION / CONTROL SPECIALIST, instead of just considering only aircrew, would yield a better change of getting a job I want. My recruiter said no, and that I was supposed to do a job wish list with my old recruiter before I enlisted, but nobody told me about that....

I feel so screwed by the Marine Corps. The best thing I can do is be their ***** and hope that an AG contract magically opens before 4 months come along...

I was driving to work today and got a ticket for going 10 mph over the speed limit, but my neighbor who is a police officer didn't tell me what the speed limit was. I feel so screwed by the police department.

My boss called me into his office yesterday and reprimanded me for taking off in the afternoon, but he never told me I couldn't. I feel so screwed by the company I work for.

Last week I bought a new GMC pickup. I got it home and found out the government owns GMC. My salesman never told me that. I feel so screwed by GMC.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!!!!!

If you want a successful enlistment and you continue feeling sorry for yourself because a recruiter MAY have neglected to have you feel out your "dream sheet," then before Day 1, the Marine Corps will suck and you will hate it.

Life is all about disappointments. The lesson to learn from this is not sulking because you think you are not getting what you want; it is learning to adapt and overcome despite obstacles.

I didn't sign up for the job contract that I initially wanted because the MSgt said it wasn't available. The AJ contract was the only thing they offered. Don't know why they didn't check last October (beginning of last fiscal year) to get my desired job.

Sorry to seem so demanding, but the only thing I ever wanted from the Corps was the opportunity to get the job I wished, every since I enlisted. I never asked about financial incentives, bonuses, educational benefits, pay, ect.

I guess I'll stay DEPed in and wait out until near the end of the 4 months. I have to admit that I do want to be a Marine overall.

Forgot to mention, when I called him yesterday, he said he'll check every month. From the best of my knowledge, jobs can come and go ever 10 minutes! Should he check more frequent than every month?

Go at this from a different angle. You state, "I didn't sign up for the job contract that I initially wanted because the MSgt said it wasn't available. The AJ contract was the only thing they offered. Don't know why they didn't check last October (beginning of last fiscal year) to get my desired job."

Okay. So let's assume the MSgt messed up. Not saying he did, but assume that. It is water under the bridge. You cannot undo it. So you either 1) Accept it and move on, 2) Continue being pizzed off about it, 3) Forget about being a Marine, or 4) Go to a different branch of service and see if you can do it there. What has happened has happened. YOU have to now play the cards you are being dealt and make the best of it. If you've been around here a while, you will read over and over again young guys not getting the job they want. Most are happy to just be a Marine. But others make the best out of a different job.

You say, "Sorry to seem so demanding, but the only thing I ever wanted from the Corps was the opportunity to get the job I wished, every since I enlisted."

If that's all you ever wanted from the Marine Corps, is the job you wished, re-evaluate. You might be enlisting for the wrong purpose.

My brother enlisted, wanted to be 0311, ended up Marine Barracks Duty. Wasn't too happy with it, but made the best of it and got out 22 years later!!!!

My other brother enlisted, was told to go open contract, then at boot camp would have the opportunity to designate his job as MP. Ha! He became 0331, didn't particularly like it, make Sgt in just over 2 years, though, and made the best of it.

What we are trying to tell you is forget about what has happened - or didn't happen. Decide what you are going to do NOW and attack that with a positive attitude and make the best of it.

You say, "From the best of my knowledge, jobs can come and go ever [sic] 10 minutes! Should he check more frequent [sic] than every month?"

Hmmm, from your knowledge versus a Master Sergeant in the Marine Corps. Me says the MSgt probably knows more. But hey, what do I know? Why don't you ask him if he should check more frequently than every month?

I guess I will take your advice and stay DEPed in and hope for the best, but expect the worst. To become a Marine is my top priority.

I will probably ask my recruiter, when he comes to my school again, if he can check more frequently than just every month. Don't know if I've been bugging him too much regarding my job, but I don't want to risk getting on his bad side and lose all chance of getting an AG contract.

I guess I will take your advice and stay DEPed in and hope for the best, but expect the worst. To become a Marine is my top priority.

I will probably ask my recruiter, when he comes to my school again, if he can check more frequently than just every month. Don't know if I've been bugging him too much regarding my job, but I don't want to risk getting on his bad side and lose all chance of getting an AG contract.

Thanks.

Very good. This is will be my last post on this thread. Most of what I have posted has been in an attempt to redirect your thinking somewhat. Your outlook is crucial to your success. For instance, you just wrote, "I guess I will take your advice and stay DEPed in and hope for the best, but expect the worst. To become a Marine is my top priority."

That runs contrary to a Marine's way of thinking, and I understand you are not a Marine yet. But seriously, if becoming a Marine is your top priority, then that in and of itself IS THE BEST, and not the worst.

Be candid with the Master Sergeant. Tell him you don't want to bug him and ask him if he thinks you are to let you know. Be a straight shooter with him.

We don't always get what we want out of life and that goes double for life as a Marine. You haven't even stepped on the yellow footprints yet and already have issues. Personally, it sounds to me like you and my Marine Corps are not a good fit and maybe you need to reealvuate your priorities in life. As a career Marine, about how many times do you figure I was unhappy with my current circumstances or didn't like what I was being told? Right...too many to count. So, my choices were to either adjust my attitude and adapt and overcome or get out...I decided to stay for 22.6 years and don't regret one moment.

If you do decide to stay DEP'd in and ship to MCRD...be sure to let your DI's know when you are not happy with what they are telling you to do. Just like your recruiters, their mission in life is to make sure you're not ****ed off and enjoy your vacation at the depot.